The seeds for the Haggerty Museum of Art were planted in 1889, when Rev. Stanislaus L. Lalumiere, S.J., donated Père Marquette and the Indians by Wilhelm Lamprecht to then-Marquette College. Seventy years later, English professor Dr. John Pick formed the Marquette University Fine Arts Committee to promote the arts and survey the works of art on campus. In the late 1970s, the Fine Arts Committee, chaired by Dr. Curtis L. Carter and the newly formed Marquette University Women’s Council, collaborated to build a permanent home for Marquette’s art collection. The Haggerty Museum of Art opened on Nov. 11, 1984.
The Haggerty features approximately eight to nine exhibitions each year. Representing the diversity of work in its permanent collection, the museum has offered exhibitions celebrating the contributions of the Italian Renaissance “Petite Masters,” American self-taught artists, works addressing social change issues, modern American printmaking and photography, and contemporary art from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Wisconsin.
As a teaching museum, the Haggerty seeks to enhance the undergraduate educational experience by engaging students in various disciplines to think about the world and their subject matter through the lenses of the visual arts. The museum also works collaboratively with elementary and middle school teachers, local artists, and College of Education faculty and students to design programs that engage children and youth in educational activities. Additional educational opportunities for the campus and community include free tours, lectures, workshops and performances.
Mission
The Haggerty Museum of Art advances Marquette University’s mission by enriching the intellectual and creative lives of students and communities at large through engagement with the museum’s collections, exhibitions, and programs.
Vision
Using the arts to galvanize the intellectual resources of Marquette University, the Haggerty Museum of Art will inform, strengthen, and transform our communities.
